San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick leaves the field after being defeated by the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. / Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY Sports

by Lindsay H. Jones, USA TODAY Sports

by Lindsay H. Jones, USA TODAY Sports

NEW ORLEANS â?? Big, tough Joe Staley's eyes were still red and teary as he climbed up onto an interview podium in the minutes following San Francisco's 34-31 Super Bowl loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

Staley was hunched over, and his voice was low. He was trying to be polite and introspective and as he reflected on what went wrong with his team, especially in the game's final moments, as the 49ers failed to score despite a first-and-goal at the 7 yard line.

And then, at a different interview podium on the other side of curtain, Ray Lewis announced his arrival. Lewis, the Ravens' retiring middle linebacker, cheered and yelled. As if Staley and his 49ers teammates weren't miserable enough, hearing Lewis' cheers only reinforced that they were the ones going home without a trophy.

Staley stopped mid-sentence, his voice no longer audible anyway, and dropped his head even lower.

"My emotions are all over the place right now," Staley said. "I'm proud of our football team, and I'm really proud of our guys. You don't know how many times this opportunity is going to come around."

The reality for the 49ers is in two seasons under head coach Jim Harbaugh, they have ended up in the NFC Championship game and in the Super Bowl, respectively. Staley is right. How often do those charmed seasons happen?

"I think we were the better team," running back Frank Gore said.

The Niners certainly look like the team built for years of success. San Francisco's roster consists of 43 of 53 players under 30 years old, including 25-year-old quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who threw for 302 yards and rushed for 62 more in just his 10th career start.

"I'm extremely proud of all that we've done up to this point," tight end Vernon Davis said. "We have to look at this as a blessing, because we didn't have to be here, but we made it. There is always next season. We might as well look forward to next season."

Those final five yards, and the three failed pass attempts on second-, third- and fourth-downs, will haunt the 49ers on their long flight back to the Bay Area on Monday. They'll wonder: Why didn't Kaepernick get a shot to run? Why not another handoff to Frank Gore, whose 33-yard run set up the goal-line sequence in the first place?

"With the offense we have, with the quarterback that we have, I would think that we would probably punch it in," Whitner said. "A little surprised. But that's coach's call."

There will be other issues to fix with those young players.

Outside linebacker Aldon Smith, who for a stretch in November and early December was the league's most dominant pass rusher, failed to record a sack for the sixth consecutive game, as the 49ers rarely pressured Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco on Sunday night.

"I'm going to keep preparing like I did for the past two years for this," Smith said. "If I stay like that, I think I can make it to more games like this."

For all the talk in the week leading up to the Super Bowl from 49ers defensive backs about not letting Flacco hit the deep ball to receivers Torrey Smith, Anquan Boldin and Jacoby Jones, those passes were open â?? over and over again â?? as Baltimore built a 21-6 halftime lead.

Flacco particularly picked on nickel corner Chris Culliver, whose terrible week began with homophobic comments made on comedian Artie Lange's media day podcast went viral. Culliver made the second-worst gaffe of the postseason by a defensive back when receiver Jacoby Jones got free against Culliver, caught Flacco's deep pass, landed on his back untouched, and hopped to his feet and ran away from Culliver and into the end zone.

"I think it was a good play [by Jones]. It was a broken play," said safety Dashon Goldson. "The ball was in the air forever, and Culliver just lost it."

Davis was among the final 49ers players to dress and leave the locker room. But he also was the most optimistic about the 49ers' chances to find their way to Super Bowl XXXVIII in East Rutherford, N.J. Davis sat at his interview podium with his back straight, head high.

"I'm extremely proud of all that we've done up to this point," he said. "We have to look at this as a blessing, because we didn't have to be here, but we made it. There is always next season. We might as well look forward to next season."